Answering 3 Common Tech Resume Formatting Questions to Help You Create a Resume That Stands Out
I have reviewed thousands of tech resumes for roles such as data scientist, machine learning engineer, data engineer, and software engineer.
There are common questions candidates have about their resumes.
Read along to see how simple changes can help you tell a compelling story in a short amount of time.
Question 1: Is formatting important?
Yes, absolutely!
You only have a few seconds to impress the person reading your resume. Here is what you need to pay attention to:
- Consistent formatting is crucial with each section clearly separated from others.
- Boldface the keywords you want to stand out.
- Tell a clear story that can be read in a short amount of time.
Formatting is as important as the content of your resume if not more.
Question 2: Does the order of components matter?
No, not really!
The order is just a personal preference. It makes no difference if your education comes before or after your work experience or if your projects are at the top or at the very end.
However, if a specific order can help you tell a better story then use that. For example, if you have projects that are directly related to the role you’re applying to, then include them at the very top. Or if the employer is famous for hiring from your school, put your education at the top. And so on!
Also, try not to have components that split between two pages.
Question 3: Do I keep it to 1 page or use 2 pages?
It doesn’t matter!
If all relevant components of your story fit on one or two pages, then great!
If there is a small section that goes to page 2, make sure you tinker with page margins, font, and font sizes to keep everything to one page. Or if there is a bit of white space at the end of page 2, change the formatting to fill the entire page.
